Lifeboat launching device



Jan. 9, 1934. J. R. DICKINSON LIFEBOAT LAUNCHING DEVICE Filed Oct. 12, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet l NW NW 3 Jan. 9, 1934. J. R. DICKINSON 1,943,166

LIFEBOAT LAUNGHING DEVI CE Filed Oct. 12, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 9, 1934. J. R. DICKINSON LIFEBOAT LAUNCHING DEVICE Filed Oct. 12, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jan. 9, 1934. J. R. DICKINSON 1,943,166

LIFEBOAT LAUNCHING DEVICE Filed Oct. 12, 1S3] 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Jan. 3, 1934 UNITED STATES LIFEBOAT LAUNCHIN G DEVICE Joseph R. Dickinson, New York, N. Y., assignor of one-half to William A. Ryan Brooklyn,

Application October 12, 1931. Serial No. 568,466

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a life boat launching device and more particularly to such a device in which all of the life boat covers which are usually employed may be released by the operation of a common releasing member, and all of the life boats on one side of the shp may be swung into position for lowering by the manipulation of a single releasing means.

In the ordinary life boat launching apparatus so far as known to applicant, it is necessary to provide a crew for each boat for the purpose of manning the same when an emergency arises, it being the purpose of the crew to remove the covers, release the boats from the securing means and to swing the boats on their davits out over the side of the ship so that the passengers can board the same, after which the boats are lowered.

It has been necessary to employ a number of men for each boat to carry out these necessary operations with the result'that a great deal of confusion occurs in the launching of life boats and much delay is occasioned. In addition, the men necessary to man the boats, are, of course, prevented. from doing other useful duties during such an occasion.

It is an object, therefore, of the present invention, to provide a comparatively simple construction for releasing all of the boats on one side of the ship from their cradles by the operation of a single lever whereupon the boats automatically swing on their davits into position over the side of the ship for subsequent lowering.

An additional object is the provision of means for simultaneously releasing all of the life boat covers by means of a single operating member located in close proximity to the life boat releasing lever so that with the present invention, in order to man a series of boats, it is necessary only to provide a single operator who can control both the cover releasing and the boat releasing mechanism, and to station one man at each life boat for the purpose of pulling the covers on" the boat after they have been released.

It is a further object to provide a device that will enable the life boats to be swung into position in a minimum amount of time attended by no confusion so that the launching of the boats can be accomplished in an orderly manner.

Additional objects and advantages of this invention will be readily apparent as the description proceeds.

The invention is described in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan View of a life boat in its secured or normal position.

Fig. 2 is a plan view with the life boat swung into position for lowering and with the cover removed.

Fig. 3 is a side view with the life boat in secured position.

Fig. 4 is an end View with the life boat in position corresponding to that shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

Fig. 5 is an end View with the life boat shown in its released position corresponding to Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the life boat showing means for attaching rollers to the side of the life boat to assist in lowering the same along the side of the ship.

Fig. 7 is an end view of Fig. 6,

Fig. 8 is a detailed fragmentary view illustrating the life boat cradle and part of its releasing mechanism, and

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic showing of a modified construction.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I have illustrated a fragment of the boat deck 1 of a ship and while throughout the drawings I have illustrated merely a single life boat, it is to be understood that a'plurality of the same is provided on the boat deck 1 and that they are arranged in substantial alignment so that the common releasing mechanism can extend throughout the extent of the ship for releasing all of the life boats simultaneously from their cradles.

Secured to the boat deck 1 are the davits 2 and 3 which are supported for pivotal rotation as indicated at 4 and 5 so that the davits may swing from the position illustrated in Fig. l to the position shown in Fig. 2, carrying with them the life boat 5 into position to be lowered.

The davits 2 and 3 are connected to the life boat 6 by means of block and tackle illustrated generally at 7 and 8 by means of Which the boats can be lowered into the Water as is customary in such devices.

The structure so far described is quite common in many forms of life boat launching devices and further discussion of the same is believed to be unnecessary.

The life boat 6 is supported in its normal or secured position by means of cradles indicated generally at 9 and 10, each cradle consisting of vertical arms 11 and 12 carried by suitable bases 13 and 14 which are secured to the boat deck 1 by means of screws or other fastening elements 15, and the vertical arms 9 and 10 are connected by an integral transverse bar 16 which inclines gradually downwardly and outwardly toward the side of the boat deck.

Pivotally secured at the upper end of the vertical arm 12 as at 17, is a swinging lever 18 which is provided at one end with an aperture 19 and its opposite short end is curved upwardly when locked in normal position and substantially coincides with the curvature of the bottom of the life boat, thereby supporting the same in rigid position.

Secured to the boat deck 1 immediately adjacent the base 15 for the vertical arm 11, is a socket 20 consisting of a U-shaped member having aligned openings 21 in the vertical side walls thereof, the bracket being adapted to receive the apertured end of the lever 18 with the aperture 19 in alignment with the apertures 21 when the lever 18 is in position to support the life boat.

It will be understood that the apertured end of the lever 18 as shown in Fig. 8 is swung downwardly so that the aperture 19 registers with the apertures 21, after which a suitable pin 22 is passed through the apertures for the purpose of supporting the pivoted lever 18 in the position shown in Fig. 4, so that the life boat is rigidly supported in its normal position.

Extending along the boat deck and adjacent the inner side of the life boats when they are supported in normal position, is a sectional slid ing rod 23 which is adapted to project throughout the extent of the boat deck 1, and at suitable intervals therealong has secured thereto chains 24 which carry the pins 22 that pass through the apertures 19 and 21. The chains 24 are secured to the rod 23 by means of an eyelet or other suitable securing device 25.

At one end of the rod 23 an operating device is mounted on the boat deck 1 which consists of vertical brackets 26 and 2'7 in which is secured a shaft 28 carrying an operating lever 29 having one end secured to the sliding rod as indicated at 30 so that as the operating lever 29 is moved from the position shown in Fig. l to the position shown in Fig. 2, the rod 23 is slid horizontally along the boat deck 1, thereby pulling the pins 22 from the apertures 19 in the swinging lever 18 and, due to the incline of the transverse connecting member 16, and the fact that the curved arm of the pivoted lever 18 is shorter than the apertured arm of this lever, the weight of the boat will automatically swing the lever 18 from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 5, whereby the life boat will fall from the cradle and cause the davits 2 and 3 to swing outwardly and support the life boat in position to be lowered.

It will be understood that the operation of the single lever 29 will, therefore, release all of the life boats on one side of the boat deck 1 and permit them to swing into position to be lowered.

In order to insure the proper sliding opera tion of the rod 23, I have provided suitable brackets 31 for securing the same to the boat deck.

When life boats are secured in the normal position it is customary to provide canvas or others covers for the same to prevent the accumulation of water so that it is further necessary to remove these covers before the life boats are swung into position to be lowered. Therefore, before the life boat is released from the cradle I provide a common operating means for releasing all of the covers on the life boats as follows: Mounted on the shaft 23 is a second lever 32 which is adapted to be swung from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2. Secured to the lever 32 is a rope or other suitable flexible member 33 which has secured thereto at suitable intervals branches 34 carrying on their ends pins 35.

The life boat is covered by means of a canvas or other suitable cover having ropes 36 laced into eyelets 37 provided at the marginal edges of the cover and one of these ropes has an extension 38 which is adapted to pass under the life boat and around the keel 39 thereof, while the extension 38 on the opposite side passes downwardly to a point adjacent the keel as indicated at 40 in Fig. 4.

On the inside of the keel 39 of the life boat I provide suitable'U-shaped brackets 41 having apertures therein and the rope extensions 38 have eyelets 39 which are adapted to be placed between the vertical legs of the U-shaped bracket and register with the opening therein. Thereafter, the pins 36 are inserted in the apertures in the brackets 41 and through the eyelets on the ends of the extension ropes 38.

From the foregoing it will be seen that manipulation of the lever 32 will move the rope 33 longitudinally and pull the pins 36 out of the brackets 41 so that the life boat covers are released and may be removed by one of the crew assigned to the particular life boat for that purpose.

In order to provide means for securely holding the life boat in position on the cradle, I have provided a series of gripes 42 which consist of flexible elements having at their upper ends hooks 43 for engagement with the gunwale of the life boat and the lower ends of these gripes 42 are provided with eyelets 44.

At suitable points along the boat deck 1 I provide additional U-shaped brackets 45 which are provided with aligned. apertures and when the life boat is in position on the cradle the gripes 42 are applied and the eyelet 44 on the lower end thereof is positioned between the vertical arms of the brackets 45 so that the open ing through the eyelet aligns with the openings in the bracket 45.

Suitable pins 46 pass through the openings in the brackets 45 and the eyelets on the end of the gripes 42 and these pins 46 are secured to the rod 23 by means of chains 47.

It will be seen, therefore, that operation of the lever 29 and the sliding movement imparted to the rod 23 thereby not only removes the pins 22 from the cradle "securing bracket 29 but also the pins 46 from the gripe securing brackets 45.

It is to be noted particularly in Fig. 1 that the flexible element 24 which carries the cradle securing pins 22 when in securing position, is provided with slack because of the fact that it is desirable to release the gripe 42 by pulling the operating lever 29 half way over, and after the gripes have been released further movement of the operating lever 29 then removes the cradle securing pins 22 from the brackets 29, it being understood, of course, that the cover releasing mechanism is operated previously to either of the operations described immediately above.

In order to permit the removal of the covers after they have been released, it will be seen in Fig. 1 that the covers are provided with cut out openings 43 to accommodate the connection between the block and tackle 7 of the life boat.

The life boat launching apparatus in common use employs davits similar to davits 2 and 3, but so far as applicant is aware, the davits generally are swung so that the upper ends thereof project inwardly toward the longitudinal center of the boat. In the present construction, however, the davits 2 and 3 are swung partially outward so that upon release of the life boat from the cradle the davits will automatically swing to the position in which the boat must be placed before it is lowered.

In launching apparatus of this kind it sometimes becomes necesssary to launch only a single boat rather than to release all of the boats on one side of the ship and I make provision for such operation by having means for disconnecting the sections of the sliding rod 23 and the cover release rope 33 so that upon operation of the levers 29 and 32 only one of the life boats will be swung outwardly. This is accomplished by connecting one end of the rod 23 to the end of the next rod 23 by means of a hook 49. A similar hook is provided in the cover release rope 33 from which it will be evident that by releasing the hooks 49 and 50 and operating the levers 29 and 32, only a single boat will be swung from its cradle.

In Fig. 9 I have illustrated diagrammatically a modified form of my invention in which the sliding rods 23 on both sides of the boat deck are coupled together at a central point, so that operation of a single lever 29 will sufilce to release the life boats on both sides of the boat deck simultaneously, it being understood, of course, that the cover securing ropes 33 are likewise led to the same central point for the purpose of releasing the covers on all the boats on both sides of the ship simultaneously.

Referring now to Figs. 6 and '7, I have provided each of the life boats with means for assisting in the lowering operation. Very often in rough seas or when the ship has listed it becomes very difficult to lower the life boats into the water due to the angle of inclination of the side of the ship. Very often the life boats contact with the side of the ship, causing upsetting of the life boat. In order to prevent such occurrence the side of the life boat is provided at its bow and stern with a plurality of rollers 51 and 52. These rollers are rotatably mounted in clamps 53, the lower end of the clamp 53 engaging the keel 39 of the life boat and the upper end of the clamp engaging the gunwale.

After the boat has been launched and is in the water it becomes desirable to remove the rollers 51 and 52 so that they will not interfere with the rowing of the life boat, and to accomplish the removal of the rollers 51 and 52 I divide the bracket 53 into an upper and lower half indicated at 54 and 55, said sections being connected by means of bolt 56 having wing nuts 5'7 thereon.

It will be evident, therefore, that by removing the wing nuts 5'7 and bolts 56, the clamps 53 may be removed from the life boat after it has been successfully launched.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a comparatively simple, yet efficient, apparatus for releasing all life boats quickly and orderly and that the crew necessary to man or launch a life boat has been reduced so that little likelihood of confusion is encountered.

A summary of the operation is as follows:

In order to permit the life boat to be swung outwardly from the boat deck of the ship 1, an operator is stationed before the levers 29 and 32. At proper command the lever 27 is operated, thereby pulling the cover release rope 33 longitudinally and removing the pins 36 from the brackets 41, after which a second member of the crew pulls the cover from the life boat.

The operator then operates the lever 29 by partially swinging the same about the shaft 28 so that the rod 23 moves longitudinally and pulls the gripe retaining pins 46 from the brackets 45 but, due to the slack in the chain connecting the rod 23 and the cradle release pin 22, the pin 22 has not yet been removed from the eyelets 21 in the cradle retaining bracket 20. When it is seen that the gripes have all been properly released the operator then pulls the lever 29 to its maximum position, this last operation releasing the cradle retaining pins 22 and permitting the weight of the life boat, due to the inclination of the transverse rod 16, to force the curved end of the lever 18 downwardly, whereupon the life boat falls from the cradle and the pull exerted thereby on the block and tackle 7 and 8 causes the davits 2 and 3 to swing about the pivots 4 and 5, permitting the life boat to assume the position shown in Figs. 2 and 5. After the life boat has been boarded by the passengers the blocks and tackles 7 and 8 are then operated to permit lowering of the life boat into the water.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a life boat launching device the combination with a life boat supported adjacent the side of a ship, of a cover for said life boat, means carried by the keel of the life-boat to which the cover is detachably secured, collapsible cradles in which the life boat rests, gripes for securing the life boat to the cradles, slidable means for releasing the cover and independent slidable means, partial operation of which releases all the gripes and subsequent operation of which releases all of the cradles.

2. In a device of the character described a plurality of cradles for supporting a life boat, each cradle comprising vertical arms and an integrally connected transverse bar inclined downwardly and outwardly toward the side of the ship, a lever pivoted to one of said arms and having one end thereof apertured and the other end curved to conform to the bottom of the life boat, a socket secured adjacent one of said vertical arms having apertures therein adapted to register with the aperture in the swinging lever when the same is in position to support the life boat, and means passing through the apertures in the socket and in the swinging lever for securing the same in life boat supporting position.

3. In a device of the character described, a cradle comprising a rigid member having an outwardly and downwardly inclined face and a swinging lever secured thereto having an aperture in one end, a socket to receive the apertured end of the lever, a pin passing through the socket and apertured end of the lever for securing the same in life boat supporting position, a sliding rod to which said pin is secured and means for operating said rod to release the pin from the socket whereby the Weight of the life boat causes the swinging lever to move, thereby releasing the life boat from the cradle.

4. In a device of the character described a plurality of cradles each supporting a life boat and having releasable portions thereon, a sectional sliding rod having detachable connections between each section extending adjacent the life boats, means secured to the sliding rod and engageable with the releasable portions of each cradle to secure the cradles in boat holding position, and means for operating said sliding rod to release said holding means.

JOSEPH R. DICKINSON. 

